[Mithadan]

Mithadan winced as his wounds were tended to. He smiled gratefully at Child and Birdland. "Yes, that is the latest version of the REG... with some modifications, courtesy of the Dwarves of Erebor. It operates in two modes: true random events with double-encrypted password protection; and instruction guided under which it accepts instructions from only designated persons, in this case Wight and myself. Its operating on instruction mode right now...REG come here." The silver device emerged from under the petticoat and buried itself in Mithadan's pocket.

He grinned at his friends. "While its on instruction mode it would be quite useless to you," he said. "No more ransoms, hmmmm?"

"Where have you been?" growled Veritas. "We've been chasing all over Middle Earth, nearly getting ourselves killed, while you've been on vacation?"

"Hardly," answered Mithadan. "You see, you created the bane of any RPG -- an ultimate weapon which morphed into a nearly omnipotent being. When it got the laptop, it also gained the ability to gain almost limitless information on the activities of its opponents. What could defeat such a thing? An army? A dragon? These things were at best a distraction, effective only due to its own overconfidence. The only thing that could defeat such an enemy is one of the same...another REG. So I went to get another REG, then took it to Erebor to add the instruction mode. On my way back I was distracted by two unopposed armies that were left on your flanks: the eagles and the Ents." He looked ruefully on his green stained and torn cloak and pulled the feather from his collar.

"Its difficult to battle someone you don't want to harm. Ultimately, I negotiated a truce and had Gwaihir check in on things here to convince them I hadn't gone bad. That barely left me the time to get here myself. If I had been a few minutes later, someone would have grabbed the REG and we would have been off again," he explained.